FPS Games of 2012; Are We There Yet?

Half of 2012 is over and we are yet to see the rain…at least in terms of FPS games. Though, the far end of the year promises a variety of fare, one has to understand the cruel fact that the FPS, which have released this year are yet to make an impact on the gaming world. Besides a few sparks such as the graphic slick ‘Syndicate’ or even the faint ‘Dust 514’, there are still more. Similarly, the later end of the year may just be loaded up with a lot of false promises. But one has to understand the possible releases coming in this few months (four to be exact). Just like many, I am also looking forward to the launch of Halo 4, easily the biggest FPS launch of 2012.

The trailers are racy and coupled with its Spartan Ops and web series would be a great package for the gamers but would just ‘one swallow make a summer’ or do we have more battle-ready ships at bay? The answer could be a faint yes with the advent of Counter Strike: Global Offensive in August 2012. The game which retains its own set of loyal fans will be featured with old and new maps for advanced multiplayer game play. But, an FPS game just cannot be about shooting mindlessly; sooner or later one need to develop interest in the characters manning the weapons as well. The session would get steamier with the arrival of ‘Dishonored’ backed by Arkane Studios and Bethesda Softworks which will have a launch date on October 29, 2012. Another interesting addition to the FPS is the Ubisoft-backed Far Cry series which will have its third installment. Far Cry 3 will retain the USP of the previous editions showing the tropical island as the backdrop where main protagonist Jason Brody, a tourist is captured and has to fight the elements and a series of unstable characters out to eliminate him.

A twist to the regular FPS games which often rely on specific missions and campaigns, it is a welcome break for the modern age gamer. Of course, the crazy talking Vaas has become the face of the game showing the ‘insanity’ in all of us. And if you are a disciplined gamer, then Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 provides you with the perfect setting for practicing your shooting skills. Activision has upped the game and introduced a variety of modern age weaponry and even given it a ‘Halo’ touch with robots, unmanned weaponry and quadrotor drones to make the battle more interesting. This is a welcome break as they are ready to experiment with their formulas and scripts for providing a new dimension in FPS gaming.

Halo 4 deserves a bit more appreciation than its counterparts considering the fact that it is a new company (the Microsoft-backed 343 Industries) heralding the affair and rather than continue the game in its regular mode, they have boosted it with a more gripping narrative and are supplementing it with evenly spaced out missions which can build up the audience interests over a period of time. But one still remains with the question, are we there yet or is it just a ‘Far Cry’ now?